1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for defining a communication space.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, calling areas within a telephone network have been defined based on geography. For example, all numbers within a specified radius of a specified switch were defined as a local calling area. Furthermore, all numbers in a specified local calling area typically have at least a similar area code (the first three digits of a number, e.g., 703-308-XXXX), and often also have a similar exchange code (the next three digits of the number, e.g., 703-308-XXXX).
Some recent services do not rely on a geographical proximity to give subscribers reduced billing rates on calls placed to certain numbers. In these services, a first subscriber may receive a reduced billing rate on a call placed to the number of a second subscriber by specifying the number of the second subscriber in the first subscriber""s phone list. However, such services require that the second subscriber also specifies the number of the first subscriber as part of the second subscriber""s phone list in order for the first subscriber to receive the benefit of a lower billing rate. Additionally, these services do not treat a call placed to the number of the second subscriber as a xe2x80x9clocalxe2x80x9d call in that they assess a minute-based charge, albeit a reduced charge.
Accordingly, better methods are needed to improve service to subscribers and to facilitate billing for communication services.
When telephone services are provided over a network other than a standard telephone network, such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), it is difficult to exactly reproduce the xe2x80x9clocal calling areasxe2x80x9d that were previously defined according to traditional telephone network topology. For example, when telephone services are provided over a Hybrid Fiber Cable (HFC) network, the HFC network topology may not necessarily coincide with existing PSTN local calling areas. Accordingly, individual numbers are not necessarily associated with a specific network element, such as a central office, since the routing of calls is accomplished by Internet Protocol (IP) addressing.
Furthermore, with Geographic Local Number Portability (G-LNP), a relatively recent concept that allows a subscriber to move to any geographic location (at least within the United States) and keep the same telephone number, the question of whether a telephone call is a local call or a toll call cannot be answered by looking at the area code and/or exchange code, as has been done conventionally. Therefore, billing for telephone calls requires more processing. Additionally, a customer may not be able to know, based merely on characteristics (e.g., the area code and/or the exchange code) of the number dialed, whether a call will be treated as a local call or a toll call.
This invention provides a system and method for defining a local communication space based at least on a non-geographic factor, such as subscriber preference, a frequency of communication with a given destination, a destination type, and/or the like. The local communication space may be defined by compiling a list of communication spaces and allowing a subscriber to select one or more of the communication spaces as their local communication space, and/or by allowing a subscriber to individually input one or more communication destinations.
The number of communication destinations may be limited to a predetermined number. Furthermore, the subscriber may be billed according to the number of individually input communication destinations, the number of predefined communication spaces that they select, and/or the type of predefined communication spaces that they select. For example, a subscriber that selects five predefined communication spaces and one hundred individually input communication destinations may be billed more than a subscriber who selects only two predefined communication spaces and only fifty individually input communication destinations.